


Quiet Afternoon

by slimecrime



Series: Lio and Gallo Plan To Fuck And Maybe Actually Do [2]
Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: M/M, Trans Galo Thymos, Trans Lio Fotia, i cant believe i am writing fanfic again my life is unknowable, newsflash asshole! ive been [trans] this whole time!, t4t lio/galo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:21:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23043166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slimecrime/pseuds/slimecrime
Summary: “Don’t you dare feel bad for me. I promise it’s completely fine. I’m happier now than I ever have been. I have friends who I know for a fact love me, and I love them. Anyone who’s hurt me doesn’t deserve a second of my thoughts.”Galo still kisses him on the temple, regardless.“We burned the earth to the ground together,” he says. “What do they even have one me? Fuck, even the other ex-burnish- I even saved the ones who-”“It’s okay,” Galo says. “I know how strong you are. You’re probably the strongest person I can think of, if we’re being honest. It’s okay. But I still don’t think you deserved any of that. I’m glad you’re in a better place now.”
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Series: Lio and Gallo Plan To Fuck And Maybe Actually Do [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656046
Comments: 8
Kudos: 74





	Quiet Afternoon

"Where the hell is this place? It's like it just disappeared," says Galo.

It has been two months now, and while the cleanup has in no way ceased, the situation is becoming less dire. Buildings seem to fly up overnight with the technology the rescue team has access to. The city looks nice and clean and sparkling fresh, and a chilly spring breeze blows calmly through the shining streets. Leaves skitter over the freshly paved sidewalk. Brand new leaves from brand new trees! Shot fresh out of a big huge gun on a sick new robot! 

Galo stretches his arms up toward the sun. 

The city looks even newer and fancier than it did before. Glittering white skyscrapers stretch into the bright and cold morning sky, so far unscathed by wear and weather. Even the sidewalk is bright and blinding with how untouched it is, with only a few weeks worth of footsteps to its name. It's as though a glowing utopia just sprung up from the ground along with the snow drops.

"That's because it did," says Lio. 

"Aw, what!" Galo exclaimed. 

"The pizza place moved. It's not here anymore," Lio says very bluntly. "Or at least it hasn't been put back up yet."

The two reached the spot in the city where there was once Galo's (second) favorite pizza place. Now, there was simply an empty space between two buildings, like they'd just picked it up and left. 

Galo sinks to the concrete.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" he whines.

"Well, we aren't getting pizza. At least not this pizza," Lio tells him. 

"I wanted to finally take you out for lunch, though," Galo sighs. "I wanted you to taste this awesome pizza. It's my second favorite pizza. Lio..." 

Lio pats him gently on the head. 

"Well, we can come back another time. Maybe call the owner and ask when they'll be back if it really seems urgent," he suggests. "For now we can go somewhere else. I don't know. What's your third favorite pizza place?"

He pulls out his phone and prepares to put in a new address. 

"Nah, that's all the way across town," Galo tells him. "Let's just, I don't know. Die."

"Yeah, okay," Lio shrugs. He puts his phone in his pocket and then hauls Galo to his feet. He dusts him off as he stands dejected and unconvinced on the quiet street. 

"There's a burger place right down there. Have you been there before? Is it good?" he suggests. 

"I don't know. It's fine I guess. You wanna just get that to go and then go to the park or something?" Galo says. 

Lio shrugs. "That's fine."

The park is bright and green against a sterile city and a clear blue sky. There aren't many people out right now. Many are still disoriented from the disaster, their lives upheaved and thrown against a wall. The cleanup effort has been nonstop as well, so this is the first time Lio and Galo have had any real time to rest. This is probably the closest to a "normal" day they've had since the earth had burned. It doesn't truly feel normal, though.

Galo takes a bite of the burger and something about it just doesn't feel right. Something about it almost makes him a little sick.

"Is this gross to you? Is yours gross?" he asks.

Lio hasn't even opened his yet. It sits in his lap in a white paper box. 

"I'm not very hungry," he says. "I might, save it. I don't know."

"Tell me if this is gross," Galo says. He offers him his own burger with minor urgency. "Just take a bite of it. Is it gross?"

Lio leans over and takes a bite out of the burger in Galo's hands. He chews it with a completely unnecessary level of thoughtfulness 

"I meant like, take it from me," he laughs. 

"Sorry," he says with his mouth full. "It's not that gross. I don't know."

"Hmm..." Galo says.

"I'm not that hungry, though," he says.

"Yeah. Maybe I'm not hungry either."

Lio nods.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

"Yeah. Are you?"

"Yeah." 

The park is so quiet. There aren’t even insects humming. A bird chirps in a bush somewhere, but otherwise the air is cool and silent. They are completely alone in the sun together. There isn’t even a cloud in the sky for company.

“I know we both have the day off,” Galo says. “But do you want to just, go back? To burning rescue?”

Lio leans on his hand. His legs are crossed and his foot taps the air. His ankle boots are brand new. This is the first time he’s been able to wear them. He was very excited about that this morning. They are black and covered in studs with pointed toes.

“Hmm,” he thinks. “Do you want to go back to my apartment instead?” 

Galo’s heart flutters a little. 

“Sure,” he says. “Is that okay? Wait, I uh...”

“I sort of, uh, want to talk to you privately, anyway…” Lio says, smirking with his eyes closed and his fingers combing his hair. “I told you, I wanted to talk to you.” 

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Galo says. “Sure.”

He’s suddenly nervous in a less good way. But he is smiling. It’s probably nothing terrible. 

“This is still a date, right?” Galo asks.

“Of course it is,” Lio says, smiling a little more. He still doesn’t look up at him. His fingers wind tighter into his hair. His foot keeps tapping the empty air.

\----

Galo flops down on Lio’s very familiar couch. It’s not the greatest couch, if we’re being honest. It’s brand new, and cheap and a boring navy blue. The rest of his apartment is sparsely decorated, with white walls and white tile floors and grey carpet and plain cabinets. The bare, corporate, minimum. 

The only thing making the apartment feel like anyone lives in it is the dishes in the sink and the clothes on the chairs. There is of course, some lovely lovely artwork by Galo himself hanging in the living room: A gorgeous piece of ripped notebook paper with an illustration of a little doggie taped to the wall. (Drawn in sharpie.) (Galo Thymos, 2020)

“So,” says Lio, sitting down on the couch. “Like, this might be, a shitty conversation. Maybe. I mean, it shouldn’t be. I don’t know. It might not even be relevant? You probably already know, I don’t know, but like. Just. Give me the benefit of the doubt, okay?”

Galo nods, not sure where this is going. “Okay.”

“Like, you’ve seen me shirtless and didn’t, like, say anything, but we haven’t slept together yet, and, I don’t know how aware you are, of anything, plus you’re kind of an idiot sometimes. I mean that in the best possible way…” Lio rambles.

There is a pause. Galo waits for him to continue, but, oh, his chest. Oh, the scars on his chest. Oh- 

“Like, you didn’t ask about it, so I don’t know if that means you’re cool with it, or if you just don’t know what it is, but- “ Lio swallows. “I just want to make sure you are aware, that, I like, am like, trans. And also, make sure that you know what that means.” 

There is silence while Galo thinks of what to do. This isn’t a situation he’s ever been in before. He leans on his arm and smiles into his palm.

Galo can’t stop himself from laughing suddenly. Then he remembers that that is the worst possible thing to do in this situation. That was probably, actually, the second scariest possible thing he could have done. Oh great, good job. 

Lio recoils away from him, and glares. 

“Sorry, no no. Sorry. Okay- I need to just, explain. I’m not laughing at you,” Galo says hastily. “I’m an idiot. You said it yourself. I’m the world’s #1 idiot, remember?” 

Lio grips the couch with white knuckles and glares at him with an incredible anger and hurt that he hopes he never sees again, a pain that he has to heal immediately. 

“Listen, I forget all the time, But- ” Galo says. How does he save this? How does he explain? “It’s funny because I’m usually on the other end of this conversation. I mean, it’s not funny. I would be really upset if someone laughed at me, like I just did- uhm-”

Lio just stares at him. 

“I just got excited- I’m not laughing at you- I didn’t laugh at you- I know this is hard-” he stammers. 

“What are you talking about?” Lio hisses. 

Galo swallows and straightens his posture. He takes a deep breath.

“I transitioned when I was a teenager, though I never had top surgery, and I’ve pretty much been stealth since I was 19. And at this point in my life, I mostly just forget about it, honestly,” Galo finally explains. “I also haven’t really dated anyone in a while, so it really doesn’t come up much at all…” 

Lio relaxes, his eyes go distant for a moment while he thinks.

“Are you just saying that to save your ass?” Lio asks.

“No! No, I… I still have my tits and no one has any idea. It’s hilarious,” he says. “They’re out 24 hours a day and no one knows.” 

Lio, thankfully, also laughs. First a little bit, and then a little more. It’s an awkward, excited, relieved laugh. 

“I, actually, wasn’t even sure how to tell you,” Galo admits, starting to laugh in the same way. “Because, uh, yeah I did know what your scars are, but I also knew you probably assumed I was cis, so it’s not like when I’ve had to tell a cis person I’m dating. I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry,” Lio says, still laughing. “I should know better than to assume.” 

“It’s okay. I should’ve known better than to laugh,” says Galo.

“We’re both bad. We both suck. This sucks.”

Galo picks him up in his arms and kisses him on the cheek. He pulls him back to lie down on the armrest of the couch. Lio’s head rests perfectly against his neck. Excited, nervous, and fluttery laughter continues to grip them both.

“Okay, well,” Lio starts. “That’s not how I was expecting this conversation to go, so now my plans have to change.”

“Oh yeah, what were your plans?”

“Well,” he says. “The rest of this conversation was and is still the same, where I ask if you want to actually finally fuck, or whatever. But, I was less worried that you’d be upset about it and more worried you’d just tell me it’s not your thing, or that you’re not “into toys” or whatever, like the last cis guy I tried to date. And then I was going to be like, “no, really it’s not that bad-” and it wasn’t going to work and I was going to go home and cry, because you’re-”

He stops and swallows and scrunches his fingers on Galo’s shirt. There is patient silence while he tries to get his words right.

“I really enjoy…” he starts. His voice is shaking. “I really like being with you and it would really suck if-”

He buries his face into the crook of his neck. 

“It’s okay. I know, I-”

Galo enjoys the weight of Lio’s body against his. He loves the feeling of him underneath his arm, across his chest. He loves the way he always plays with the collar of his t-shirt. He loves the way he always wraps one leg around his. 

“I was also still a little worried that when I told you, you might be disappointed,” Galo admits. “I had no idea what you were expecting from me, so…” 

Lio fully wraps his arms around his ribs until his fingers touch.

“Why would I be disappointed?” 

“I don’t know. You never know.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” 

More silence follows as the afternoon light grows more golden. The subdued sounds of a brand new city flow in on the breeze. A few cars, a few conversations, but mostly just quiet. Lio’s curtains, which are sheer and white and sterile, flow gently in the sun.

Lio laughs again.

“So now, I have to have an entirely different conversation with you about how I want to have sex with you,” he says. “You know, if you wanted to, I mean.”

“Yeah I-” Galo hesitates. “I’ve actually, never, slept with another trans guy before…” 

“Really?”

“Yeah. I- listen. Don’t look at me. I haven’t actually slept with that many people before. I don’t really do a lot of casual stuff. I don’t know. I’ve been in two long-term relationships, and I haven’t dated anyone in maybe a year.” 

“Really?” 

“I told you to stop looking at me.”

“Sorry, you’re just incredibly hot and incredibly nice. I’m completely offended on your behalf. Honestly, humbled that you’re single and that I get to be here with you.” 

“Well, it’s my own choice. I’m sure you’ve done lot’s of stuff. I know you’re a fucking big gang boss and whatever. I’m sure you know what you’re doing.” 

Lio laughs into his shirt.

“I- yeah, well…” he sighs, smiling, maybe blushing. “I actually only started T like, a year and a half ago, and before that I uh… I definitely did sleep with people but it wasn’t great. I don’t think I had sex that I really enjoyed until pretty recently.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Galo says.

“I realized I was burnish way before anything else, and I was homeless the first time when I was 16,” he says. “It took me a really long time to deal with the fact that I was trans. I was so caught up in everything else, everything was already so unstable. 

The people around me were already so terrible, and my survival hinged on pretty loose acceptance… I was scared of making it worse, and then I was on waiting lists forever.” 

Galo doesn’t know what to say, so he says “I’m sorry,” again.

“Don’t be,” Lio insists. “Don’t you dare feel bad for me. I promise it’s completely fine. I’m happier now than I ever have been. I have friends who I know for a fact love me, and I love them. Anyone who’s hurt me doesn’t deserve a second of my thoughts.” 

Galo still kisses him on the temple, regardless. 

“We burned the earth to the ground together,” he says. “What do they even have one me? Fuck, even the other ex-burnish- I even saved the ones who-” 

“It’s okay,” Galo says. “I know how strong you are. You’re probably the strongest person I can think of, if we’re being honest. It’s okay. But I still don’t think you deserved any of that. I’m glad you’re in a better place now.” 

Lio doesn’t have anything to say to that and just chews his lip. His paler fingers stroke up Galo’s cheek, drawing themselves along his chin. He presses his lips delicately into his jaw. Then he lays his head back on Galo’s collar. 

Galo wonders if he can feel how warm his heart is.

“This is also, if we’re being real here,” Lio says. “This is the longest I’ve ever waited to sleep with someone I was dating, and I’m kind of proud of myself. I’m also actually enjoying getting to know you, though, and you haven’t tried anything shitty with me.” 

He kisses just under Galo’s jaw and it warms his entire body. 

“We have been pretty busy,” Galo says. “It could’ve happened sooner.”

Lio kisses his jaw again, this time a little harder, and he can feel him smiling.

“I’m sort of glad I was forced to wait. I’m glad I got to meet you first,” he says softly. 

Galo laughs as his warm breath tickles his face, and as he opens his mouth to press his teeth against his cheek. 

“So,” Lio says. “I have a decent collection of toys, unless you have your own that you like better. I don’t know how you feel about yourself, but I haven’t had a lot of issues with any of my own shit since I started T. I do like to wear the strap, but if you really hate to bottom I get it. I mean, if you’re interested.” 

Galo laughs harder, his face warm and his mouth going dry. He’s so blunt about this. Oh god. He’s so prepared. 

“I don’t know. I…” he starts. “We can try some stuff. I’m not even sure what I like to do.” 

“That’s okay,” he says. “We have plenty of time to figure it out.” 

Lio sits up and leans over him, his hair curtaining both of their faces, and kisses him firmly on the mouth. It floods all the way down Galo’s nervous system, and he kisses him back with no hesitation. 

Lio sighs out of his nose and presses his lips into the corner of his mouth. Galo’s stomach flutters and he wraps his arms tightly around him. Lio breathes a little laugh into his teeth. His fingers trail across the shaved part of his head and then into the longer part of his hair. Galo pulls him even closer and finally finds the smooth inside of his mouth.


End file.
